The redisc~very of the Brazilian three ba~ded a,rmadillo and notes on its conservation status - , •~ ;; Ilmar B. Santos Funda9ilo Biodiversitas, Rua Maria Vaz de Melo, 7L Belo Horizonte, MG 31260-110 l;lrazil. Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca Depart~mento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627. Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-110 Brazil. Sonia E. Rigueira Conservation International, Av. Antonio AbraMo Caram, 820/302. Belo Horizonte, MG 31275-000 Brazil. Ricardo B. Machado Funda9ilo Biodiversitas, Rua MariaVaz de Melo, 7L Belo Horizonte MG 31260-110 Brazil. Abstract A recent survey in the northern part of Bahia state, the most recent observations were from Coimbrac Brazil, has revealed the presence of Brazilian three Filho and Moojen in 1958 (Coimbra~Filho, 1972), banded armadillos Tolypeutes tricinctus, a species in the Alto Jaguaribe region (state of ·ceara) and that had not been seen alive by the scientific Barreiras (state of Bahia). As far back as 1964-68 a community for at least 20 years. The factors that led questionnaire used in the state of Bahia revealed to the decline of the species continue to operate, that T. tricinctus was already extremely rare and three-banded armadillos face an uncertain because of overhunting (Paiva, 1972) .. future. Intensive surveys in the presumed area of distribution of the species are urgently needed so Only six specimens with complete collecting I that a management plan for this endemic Brazilian information are known from the world's museums edentate can be developed. and recent studies throughout its distribution range failed to locate wild populations (Mares et al., Introduction Wetzel, 1981; A Langguth, pers. comm.). To our knowledge, only one individual has been recorded I' The Brazilian three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes in zoological collections (Olney, 1980). T. tricinctus is the rarest of the edentates, not having tricinctus is categorized by the IUCN been seen by scientists for at least 20 years. The "indeterminate" (Thornback and Jenkins, 1982). only other species in the genus is T. matacus, which The Brazilian Institute of Environment and occurs from Bolivia and the Malo Grosso region of Renewable Resources (IBAMA) lists the Brazilian Brazil to southern Argentina (Wetzel, 1981). T. three-banded armadillo as "endangered". tricinctus is confined to north-eastern Brazil, inhabiting the semi-arid caatingas (communities of This paper reports on the finding in !988 that T. drought-adapted plants). It is the only endemic tricinctus still lives in the wild in Canudos county, Brazilian armadillo and one of two edentates in the northernmost part of the state of Bahia, close restricted to Brazil (the other being the maned sloth to the border of the state of Pernambuco Bradypus torquatus). T. matacus is still relatively (approximately JO•S 39"W) (see Figure 1). common, although heavily hunted in some·parts of its range (Wetzel, 1981). T. tricinctus, on the other Description of locality hand, has not been seen, collected or reported for at least 20 years. Carvalho (1969) observed wild The range of Tolypeutes tricinctus is confined to individuals and also burned shells in the Sao the semi-arid vegetation formations, known Francisco river region of Bahia state. Before this collectively as caatinga, which extend inland Edentata 1(1), Janl131}' 1994 Pagel! poorest diggers of the armadillos and roll up when disturbed, making them very South .America Northeastern Brazil vulnerable to hunters. Although T. matacus id frequently seen and hunted in parts of its range (Wetzel, 1981), it was described as being the second most abundant armadillo species in south­ western Mato Grosso, Brazil (Schaller, 1983), The first indications of the presence ofT. tricinctus in the area were given by R. B. I Machado and A. Brandt, directors of the Lear's Macaw Conservation Programme under the auspices of WWF -US and ( Funda9iio Biodiversitas. During a sutvey in late 1988 they discovered two burned shells of the species at houses in the I towns of Canudos and Rosario. According to information from local people, these two specimens had been bought at the popular market that setves I,";,,,, I Caatinga region the whole country and takes place every Sunday in the town of Canudos. Machado Figure 1. Map showing the area of Caatinga region in and Brandt took the shells to the Federal Northeastern Brazil and the location of Canudos in the University of Minas Gerais (Belo Bahia state. Horizonte, Brazil), and an expedition was then sent out to locate live individuals. diagonally from the north-east corner of Brazil for 800,000 sq km (Figure 1). The vegetation Although no individuals were seen in the wild, the communities of the region we visited can be broadly authors bought five live adults (three males and two divided into "arboreal caatinga" and "scrub caatinga" females), and took them to the federal University of (Hueck, 1972). The locality surveyed in this study Minas Gerais. The three males, which had multiple dominated by scrub caatinga, characterized by low­ injuries, died upon arrival, and one of the females growing xerophytic woody plants, cacti and gave birth. As is observed with T. matacus (Meritt, terrestrial bromeliads. Average annual 1971), newborn T. tricinctus resemble the adults in precipitation is usually below 500 mm, and the general morphology, possessing hardened claws, rainfall can be unpredictable (Hueck, 1972; Sick et but with the eyes and ear pinnae closed. Attempts a/., 1987). The area where T. tricinctus was are under way to keep the two sutviving females in observed has been termed "Raso da Catarina captivity. They are apparently healthy, and at the Ecosystem"(Sick eta/., 1987) and one of the most time of writing have been in captivity for 20 weeks, remote and unpopulated sections of north-eastern being fed on a diet of fruit, mealworms, boiled eggs Brazil. The Raso is characterized by flat terrain cut and a special jelly developed for captive marmosets. by canyons carved by seasonal rivers. The central The individuals purchased at the market were human settlement of this region is the town of reported to be caught, two days before, in the Canudos (county of Canudos). The whole county vicinity of Canudos. According to information from has approximately 13,794 inhabitants, 4,762 of local people, T. tricinctus is relatively common in which live in towns. the market, although the least abundant of the armadillo species sold locally. In addition to the Observations on Tolypeutes tricinctus five Tolypeutes, we found at the same market, -in one single day, ll common armadillos Dasypus T. tricinctus can be distinguished from T. matacus novemcinctus (sold at US$ 3.00 each), eight six­ in that the former species has five clawed digits on banded armadillos Euphractus sexcinctus (sold at the forefeet, while the latter has only four (Nowak US$ 3.50 each), and one naked-tailed armadillo and Paradiso, 1983). These two species are the Cabassous tatouay (sold for US$ 3.00). Euphractus Page 12 Edentata 1(1), Jmmary 1994 is the species preferred by consumers of the region, mostly limited to the production of sisal. It is followed by Dasypus. The cheapest species is probable that a large fraction of the human Tolypeutes (sold for US$ 0.80 each), and population relies on bush meat for its protein apparently the pries are set proportionally to the requirements. Game in the area under study has weight of each species and individual. Individuals been progressively declining, and it is reported that of all ages are sold, but immature. T. tricinctus an area of a few kilometers radius around the town fetch very low prices. Local people say that three­ of Canudos is now almost free of game species. banded armadillos do not thrive in captivity, and Because living conditions are below the poverty therefore cannot be fattened for later consumption. level, and domestic sources of protein are anyway Euphractus, Cabassous and Dasypus, on the other not easily available, the demand for bush meat is hand, are said to be suitable for fattening and thrive not likely to decrease. Education campaigns on a very broad diet. Therefore, even young designed to curb hunting are therefore unlikely to individuals are sold for a fairly good price. succeed in the short term. According to personal observations and The only protected area in the Canudos region is information by local people, peccaries, Tayassu the Raso da Catarina Ecological Station (997 sq pecari and T. tajacu, brocket deer Mazama km), established in January 1984, which now gouazoubira, lesser anteaters Tamandua belongs to the IBAMA. The reserve protects a fairly tetradactyla, mocos or rock cavies Kerodon large portion of pristine caatinga habitat. A major rupestris and cavies Cavia aperea are also problem with the reserve is its loosely defined frequently sold at the Canudos market. boundaries, and the fact that local people generally ignore its reserve status. T. tricinctus has been Tolypeutes is considered by hunters to be the reported in the Raso da Catarina Ecological species that is mos\ easily caught, and this may Station, but the "reserve" status does not guarantee account for its current rarity. R. Machado has protection; hunters have been seen frequently visited three previous markets at Canudos and had within its boundaries. Since the area has only two reported that the three other armadillo species were permanent guards, law enforcement is highly present, but that To/ypeutes was absent. This may unlikely to improve in the short term. reflect overhunting. Within the distribution range ofT. tricinctus, there Conservation status and prospects for action are other established protected areas that belongs to IBAMA, such as, Aiuaba Ecological Station, The survey described in the present study is National Park of Ubajara, and National Forest of preliminary and a larger project on the Araripe-Apodi (state of Ceara), National Park of conservation and biology of T.